Snoring is very common among mammals including humans. Snoring is a noise produced while breathing during sleep due to the vibration of the soft palate and uvula. Not all snoring is bad, except it bothers the bed partner or others near the person who is snoring. If the snoring gets worst overtime and goes untreated, it could lead to apnea.
Those with apnea stop breathing in their sleep, often hundreds of times during the night. Usually apnea occurs when the throat muscles and tongue relax during sleep and partially block the opening of the airway. When the muscles of the soft palate at the base of the tongue and the uvula relax and sag, the airway becomes blocked, making breathing labored and noisy and even stopping it altogether. Sleep apnea also can occur in obese people when an excess amount of tissue in the airway causes it to be narrowed.
In a given night, the number of involuntary breathing pauses or “apneic events” may be as high as 20 to 60 or more per hour. These breathing pauses are almost always accompanied by snoring between apnea episodes. Sleep apnea can also be characterized by choking sensations.
Sleep apnea is diagnosed and treated by primary care physicians, pulmonologists, neurologists, or other physicians with specialty training in sleep disorders. Diagnosis of sleep apnea is not simple because there can be many different reasons for disturbed sleep.
The specific therapy for sleep apnea is tailored to the individual patient based on medical history, physical examination, and the results of polysomnography. Medications are generally not effective in the treatment of sleep apnea. Oxygen is sometimes used in patients with central apnea caused by heart failure. It is not used to treat obstructive sleep apnea.
Nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is the most common treatment for sleep apnea. In this procedure, the patient wears a mask over the nose during sleep, and pressure from an air blower forces air through the nasal passages. The air pressure is adjusted so that it is just enough to prevent the throat from collapsing during sleep. The pressure is constant and continuous. Nasal CPAP prevents airway closure while in use, but apnea episodes return when CPAP is stopped or it is used improperly. Many variations of CPAP devices are available and all have the same side effects such as nasal irritation and drying, facial skin irritation, abdominal bloating, mask leaks, sore eyes, and headaches. Some versions of CPAP devices vary the pressure to coincide with the person's breathing pattern, and other CPAP devices start with low pressure, slowly increasing it to allow the person to fall asleep before the full prescribed pressure is applied.
Dental appliances that reposition the lower jaw and the tongue have been helpful to some patients with mild to moderate sleep apnea or who snore but do not have apnea. A dentist or orthodontist is often the one to fit the patient with such a device.
Some patients with sleep apnea may need surgery. Although several surgical procedures are used to increase the size of the airway, none of them is completely successful or without risks. More than one procedure may need to be tried before the patient realizes any benefits. Some of the more common procedures include removal of adenoids and tonsils (especially in children), nasal polyps or other growths, or other tissue in the airway and correction of structural deformities. Younger patients seem to benefit from these surgical procedures more than older patients.
Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP) is a procedure used to remove excess tissue at the back of the throat (tonsils, uvula, and part of the soft palate). The success of this technique may range from 30 to 60 percent. The long-term side effects and benefits are not known, and it is difficult to predict which patients will do well with this procedure.
Laser-assisted uvulopalatoplasty (LAUP) is done to eliminate snoring but has not been shown to be effective in treating sleep apnea. This procedure involves using a laser device to eliminate tissue in the back of the throat. Like UPPP, LAUP may decrease or eliminate snoring but not eliminate sleep apnea itself. Elimination of snoring, the primary symptom of sleep apnea, without influencing the condition may carry the risk of delaying the diagnosis and possible treatment of sleep apnea in patients who elect to have LAUP. To identify possible underlying sleep apnea, sleep studies are usually required before LAUP is performed.
Somnoplasty is a procedure that uses RF to reduce the size of some airway structures such as the uvula and the back of the tongue. This technique helps in reducing snoring and is being investigated as a treatment for apnea.
Tracheostomy is used in persons with severe, life-threatening sleep apnea. In this procedure, a small hole is made in the windpipe and a tube is inserted into the opening. This tube stays closed during waking hours and the person breathes and speaks normally. It is opened for sleep so that air flows directly into the lungs, bypassing any upper airway obstruction. Although this procedure is highly effective, it is an extreme measure that is rarely used.
Patients in whom sleep apnea is due to deformities of the lower jaw may benefit from surgical reconstruction. Surgical procedures to treat obesity are sometimes recommended for sleep apnea patients who are morbidly obese. Behavioral changes are an important part of the treatment program, and in mild cases behavioral therapy may be all that is needed. Overweight persons can benefit from losing weight. Even a 10 percent weight loss can reduce the number of apneic events for most patients. Individuals with apnea should avoid the use of alcohol and sleeping pills, which make the airway more likely to collapse during sleep and prolong the apneic periods. In some patients with mild sleep apnea, breathing pauses occur only when they sleep on their backs. In such cases, using pillows and other devices that help them sleep in a side position may be helpful.
Recently, Restore Medical, Inc., Saint Paul, Minn. has developed a new treatment for snoring and apnea, called the Pillar technique. Pillar System involves a procedure where 2 or 3 small polyester rod devices are placed in the patient's soft palate. The Pillar System stiffens the palate, reduces vibration of the tissue, and prevents the possible airway collapse. Stiff implants in the soft palate, however, could hinder patient's normal functions like speech, ability to swallow, coughing and sneezing. Protrusion of the modified tissue into the airway is another long-term concern.
As the current treatments for snoring and/or apnea are not effective and have side-effects, there is a need for additional treatment options.